London Academy of Media Film TV

EARLY LIFE

Angelina Jolie

Born Angelina Jolie Voight on the 4th of June, 1975, in Los Angeles, California; Angelina is the youngest of two children to actors Marcheline Bertrand and Jon Voight. Her parents separated a year after she was born and she was primarily raised in New York by her mother. With the soon-to-be actress having a somewhat tempestuous relationship with her father, Angelina has credited her interest in acting to her childhood experiences with her mother, though she made her debut film appearance in her father’s poorly received comedy Lookin’ to Get Out released in 1982. Angelina pursued her interest in the profession in her early teenage years when she began studying at the Lee Strasbourg Theatre Institute in 1986, making several stage appearances during her studies. She also briefly considered a career as a funeral director during her more troubled years; with the young actress collecting knives and experimenting with self-harm when she was 16 years old, before achieving some success as a professional model.

MODELING CAREER

Angelina found success as a model across the globe; working in London, Los Angeles, and New York, earning the attentions of the music industry with the teenage model appearing in numerous music videos for the likes of Lenny Kravitz, Meatloaf, and the Rolling Stones. With her passion for acting reignited, Angelina enrolled at the MET theater company in Los Angeles to pursue a career as an actress. After appearing in a couple of shorts by Secretary director Steven Shainberg in 1993, Angelina quickly made her film debut as an adult in the low-budget sci-fi thriller, Cyborg 2 (1993).

COMMERCIAL BREAKTHROUGH

After making numerous appearances in low-profile genre films, including Hackers (1995) with Johnny Lee Miller, and Playing God (1997) with David Duchovny, Angelina earned her first taste of critical acclaim with television biopic Gia (1998) portraying doomed model Gia Carangi. She was nominated for an Emmy for her performance and won a Golden Globe award, planting her firmly on the Hollywood map. More high profile roles soon followed with Angelina starring opposite Billy Bob Thornton in romantic drama Pushing Tin (1999), and Denzel Washington in crime thriller The Bone Collector (1999), before making her breakthrough performance in Girl, Interrupted (1999). She won an Oscar for her performance and quickly established herself as one of Hollywood’s highest earning stars with a string of blockbuster hits.

BOX OFFICE QUEEN

With Gone in 60 Seconds (2000) opposite Nicolas Cage, highly anticipated video-game adaptation Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), action comedy Mr and Mrs Smith (2005), and roles in animated hits Shark Tale (2004), and Kung Fu Panda (2008) grossing over $100 million each in America alone, Angelina became a certified box office star. Though she has starred in her fair share of box office flops, including Original Sin (2001) with Antonio Banderas and Thomas Jane, and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004) with Jude Law, Angelina has remained one of cinema’s biggest draws, and has endeavoured to balance more challenging dramatic work with box office blockbusters. She earned a second Oscar nomination for her performances in Clint Eastwood’s Changeling (2008), and has recently lit up the box office with blockbusters Wanted (2008), Salt (2010), and The Tourist (2011) with Johnny Depp. She will next be seen in the animated sequel Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011).

HUMANITARIAN WORK

However, Angelina’s most fulfilling work has been away from the big screen with the actress using her celebrity status to raise awareness for humanitarian causes across the world. She has visited many third world countries and conflict zones including Sierra Leone, Namibia, Darfur, and Haiti, and has made numerous donations from her own fortune. She has made public speeches at fundraising events including World Refugee Day, and in 2001 was named a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN. She has been awarded the Citizen of the World award, and a Global Humanitarian award for her prolific charity work.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt

PERSONAL LIFE

Aside from her highly-publicized estrangement from her father, Angelina has been the subject of controversy with her love life too, earning a reputation as a wild child. At her first wedding, to actor Johnny Lee Miller (1996-1999), Angelina had written the groom’s name on her shirt in her own blood, and the star has professed that she wore a vial of her spouse’s blood during her marriage to second husband Billy Bob Thornton (2000-2003). Her current relationship to actor Brad Pitt has also been the subject of obsessive media speculation with Angelina rumored to have been the cause for the dissolution of Brad’s marriage to actress Jennifer Aniston. Angelina has 3 adopted children; Maddox (adopted 2002) from Cambodia, Zahara Marley (adopted 2005) from Ethiopia, and Pax Thien (adopted 2007) from Vietnam. She also has three biological children with Brad; Shiloh Nouvel (born 2006), and twins Vivienne Marcheline and Knox Leon (born 2008). Angelina is currently represented by United Talent Agency.

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London Academy of Media Film TV

EARLY LIFE

Brad Pitt

Born William Bradley Pitt on 18th December, 1963 in Shawnee, Oklahoma, Brad is the eldest of three children to counselor Jane, and truck company owner William Alvin Pitt. Having moved to Missouri shortly after his birth, Brad studied at Kickapoo High School in Springfield, where he first discovered a passion for acting; performing in numerous school productions. He went on to study journalism at the University of Missouri, but soon realized his true calling was in the arts with the teenager acting with the Sigma Chi fraternity. Brad abandoned his studies shortly before he was due to graduate and moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career in 1986.

ACTING DEBUT

Brad soon found work as an extra, making minor appearances in numerous films and television series’. His debut came in 1987 with the burgeoning actor appearing in the likes of Hunk, No Way Out, and Less Than Zero with Robert Downey Jr. That same year he landed a recurring role on television soap Dallas (1987-1988), and proceeded to guest star in popular television fare including 21 Jump Street (1988), and Wes Craven’s Freddy’s Nightmares (1989). Brad continued to land small roles in film and television, until he found his breakthrough role in Ridley Scott’s acclaimed crime drama Thelma & Louise (1991). The film was a box office smash and Brad’s supporting performance as a hitchhiker soon earned him the attentions of Hollywood’s top producers, and the affections of female audiences around the world who quickly became enamored with his chiseled looks.

BIG SCREEN BREAKTHROUGH

Following Thelma & Louise’ success, Brad found himself in consideration for lead roles; earning his leading man status as the titular Johnny Suede in the 1991 musical comedy. However, Brad was keen to avoid being typecast and strived to establish himself as a talented actor, with his acclaimed performance as a serial killer in Kalifornia (1993) being an indicator of the diverse roles that would define his career. Brad sealed his A-list status in 1994 with Interview with the Vampire, sharing leading man duties with Tom Cruise, and Edward Zwick’s Legends of the Fall for which he earned his first Golden Globe nomination. Brad’s career went from strength to strength, with the actor collaborating with director David Fincher in acclaimed thriller Se7en (1995), and earning his first Oscar nomination and Golden Globe win for his performance in Twelve Monkeys (1995) opposite Bruce Willis. A couple of misfires soon followed with the underwhelming The Devil’s Own, and Seven Years in Tibet in 1997, but Brad would soon be back on the path to superstardom with the release of dark fantasy Meet Joe Black (1998) reaffirming his heartthrob status, and a reunion with Fincher for Fight Club in 1999.

FIGHT CLUB AND BEYOND

Though it disappointed at the box office, Fight Club became a cult smash and revived Brad’s career. More high profile genre films followed with The Mexican (2001), Spy Game (2001), and a guest appearance on Friends (2001), before Brad appeared in Steven Soderbergh’s ensemble blockbuster Ocean’s Eleven (2001) that saw the actor begin a long-standing friendship with actor George Clooney. Between appearances in 2 Ocean’s sequels; Twelve (2004), and Thirteen (2007), Brad’s screen profile skyrocketed with lead roles in blockbusters Troy (2004), and action comedy Mr & Mrs Smith (2005) becoming box office hits. He has since reunited with Clooney once more for the Coen’s Burn After Reading (2008), and earned rave reviews for his performances in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2008), David Fincher’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) which earned the actor his second Oscar nomination, and Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds (2009). He will next be seen in The Tree of Life (2011).

PRODUCING CAREER

Brad has also had success as a producer, with his company Plan B Entertainment producing the likes of The Departed (2006), A Mighty Heart (2007), The Time Traveller’s Wife (2009), Kick-Ass (2010), and Eat. Pray. Love (2010) amongst others.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in Mr & Mrs Smith

PERSONAL LIFE

Brad has had several high profile relationships with actresses Juliette Lewis, and Gwyneth Paltrow, and was previously married to actress Jennifer Aniston (2000-2005). His marriage to Jennifer became the cause of immense media speculation amid rumours that Brad became close to co-star Angelina Jolie whom he met whilst filming Mr & Mrs Smith in 2005, and the couple divorced shortly after. Brad’s relationship with Angelina has become one of the most talked about in Hollywood, the couple have 3 children; Shiloh Nouvel (born 2006), and twins Vivienne Marcheline and Knox Leon (born 2008), and in 2006 Brad legally adopted Angelina’s 3 adopted children Maddox Chivan, Zahara Marley, and Pax Thien. He has also accompanied Angelina on some of her humanitarian visits, and co-established the Jolie-Pitt Foundation to raise funds and awareness for humanitarian causes. Brad was also active in relief efforts during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, funding housing projects and encouraging film production in the area. He is currently represented by Creative Artists Agency.

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London Academy of Media Film TV

EARLY LIFE

Johnny Depp

Born John Christopher Depp II on 9th June 1963 in Owensboro, Kentucky, Johnny is the youngest of four children to waitress Betty Sue Palmer and civil engineer John Christopher Depp. Johnny had a somewhat turbulent childhood; his family frequently moved when he was a child, eventually settling in Miramar, Florida. His parents divorced when he was 15 years old. He studied at Miramar High School but he dropped out shortly after his parents divorce. Unfortunately the young teen occasionally found himself in trouble with the law thanks to his recreational drug and underage alcohol use.

A PASSION FOR MUSIC

As a teen, Johnny also discovered a passion for music. He taught himself to play the guitar and performed around Florida’s club circuit with local rock band, The Kids. He achieved moderate success with this band including opening for Iggy Pop. Johnny later moved to Los Angeles where he met his wife, Lori Allison, who introduced him to actor Nicolas Cage. Identiying Johnny’s potential as an actor, Nicolas helped the young man land his first role in Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street in 1984 marking the start of what would be a varied and successful career.

TEEN HEARTTHROB

With his matinee idol looks, it wasn’t long before Johnny got his first acting break. After a few low-profile leads and bit-parts in the likes of Platoon (1986), he landed his breakthrough role on the television series 21 Jump Street in 1987, a mere 3 years after his acting debut. Starring in 80 episodes, 21 Jump Street made Johnny a star, with the actor instantly becoming a favorite among teen audiences. However, he resented his newfound status and was keen to shake his teen reputation with increasingly unique roles. His desire to challenge himself lead him to director Tim Burton who cast Johnny as the titular Edward Scissorhands in his 1990 film. The film was a critical and commercial success, earning Johnny his first Golden Globe nomination and marking the start of a string of collaborations between the director and star.

JOHNNY DEPP AND DIRECTOR TIM BURTON

Johnny continued to impress with a slew of diverse roles including performances in Benny and Joon (1993), acclaimed drama What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? (1993), crime biopic Donnie Brasco (1997), and Terry Gilliam’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), but it was his work with Burton that largely defined his early career with the actor earning another Golden Globe nomination for his work in Ed Wood (1994), and box office success with a starring turn in Sleepy Hollow (1999). The duo’s collaborations would prove to be even more prolific in the 2000’s with the releases of box office hits Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Corpse Bride (2005), Sweeney Todd (2007), and Alice in Wonderland (2010), the latter of which made over $1 billion at the worldwide box office.

Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN

Johnny’s most iconic role however,would be under a different director, with the actor appearing as Jack Sparrow in the Disney adventure Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003). The film was a box office smash, and for the first time in his career, Johnny became a blockbuster star earning him a legion of new admirers, a Golden Globe nomination, and his first Oscar nomination. It transformed him into one of cinema’s most popular actors, which he swiftly capitalized on with yet more acclaimed performances in Finding Neverland (2004); for which he earned his second Oscar nomination, and crime biopic Public Enemies (2009). He reprised the role of Jack Sparrow for the back-to-back sequels Dead Man’s Chest (2006), and At World’s End (2007), and has recently reunited with Pirates director Gore Verbinski for children’s animation Rango (2011). He will next be seen in the highly anticipated Pirates sequel On Stranger Tides (2011).

PERSONAL LIFE

Johnny’s drug and alcohol use frequently resurfaced early in his acting career, and a few arrests for violence and destruction of property earned the actor a reputation as one of cinema’s bad boys. His passion for music has also continued to play a major part in his life with the star forming another band, P, and performing on recordings by Oasis and Shane McGowan. Johnny has had several high profile relationships, but has only been married once; to Lori Allison (1983-1985). He has previously dated Kate Moss, and actresses Jennifer Grey, and Winona Ryder, whose name he has famously tattooed on his arm. He is currently in a relationship with Vanessa Paradis whom he has dated since 1998 and shares 2 children; daughter Lily-Rose (born 1999), and son Jack (born 2002). Johnny is currently represented by United Talent Agency.

Acting is a showcase for many talents – try acting today at London Academy

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London Academy of Media Film TV

EARLY LIFE

Dwayne Johnson

Born Dwayne Douglas Johnson in Hayward, California on May 2nd, 1972, Dwayne is the only child of Ata and professional wrestler Rocky Johnson. His father’s career meant Dwayne moved frequently as a child; spending time in Hawaii, Tennessee, and New Zealand before eventually settling in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He often watched his father’s matches and thanks to his family’s connection to the sport (his grandfather and cousins were also professional wrestlers) he quickly developed an interest in wrestling and sport.

FOOTBALL CAREER

Dwayne studied at Freedom High School where he became a fixture on the track and field and wrestling teams. He also played American football in the East Pennsylvania Conference which attracted the attention of numerous colleges. He accepted a scholarship to study at the University of Miami, where he played defense for the Miami Hurricanes winning a National championship in his first year. He graduated in 1995 and was recruited by the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League, where he featured for one season. After his contract was up, Dwayne turned his attention to professional wrestling.

WRESTLING AND ‘THE ROCK’

Dwayne signed his first contract with the WWF in 1996, making his first appearance under the name Rocky Maivia, a combination of his father and grandfather’s stage names. In the same year, he won his first belt and numerous awards including a Slammy award for Best Newcomer. He was an immediately popular wrestler though a knee injury threatened to derail his early success. He returned to the WWF in 1997, simplifying his wrestling psuedonym to ‘The Rock’ and tweaked his previous heroic image to a more charismatic villain character and quickly became a fan’s favorite, thanks to a slew of memorable catchphrases. He had a hugely successful career as The Rock; eventually winning 7 championships. However, Dwayne strived to take his popularity to the next level and turned his hand to acting.

ACTING DEBUT

Dwayne made his acting debut on television with an appearance in popular sitcom That 70’s Show in 1999 portraying his father, Rocky Johnson. He continued to make occasional guest appearances on television during breaks from his wrestling career, including a performance in Star Trek: Voyager and as host of Saturday Night Live in 2000. His screen presence quickly caught the attention of Hollywood producers and his film debut soon followed with a small role in blockbuster sequel The Mummy Returns in 2001.  That first film proved popular enough to earn Dwayne his own spin-off feature, The Scorpion King, a year later.

Dwayne Johnson as Hobbs in Fast & Furious 5

FILM CAREER

Dwayne continued to balance his wrestling career with television roles and ever more frequent film appearances. He was a star being credited as The Rock and taking advantage of his wrestling persona for action films Welcome To The Jungle (2003), Walking Tall (2004), and Doom (2005). However, he was keen to test his acting abilities in different genres, proving to be as adept at comedy as he was for explosive action thanks to his performance as a homosexual bodyguard in the Get Shorty sequel Be Cool (2005), starring opposite John Travolta. Dwayne semi-retired from professional wrestling shortly afterwards in order to pursue an acting career, and changed his screen credit to his real name. He continued to defy expectations with a lead performance in Richard Kelly’s ensemble sci-fi, Southland Tales (2006), and returned to his passion for football with the likes of Gridiron Gang (2006) and children’s comedy The Game Plan (2007). Dwayne has since appeared in Get Smart (2008), the children’s adventure Race To Witch Mountain (2009), and action thrillers Faster (2011) and Fast & Furious 5: Rio Heist (2011). He has since made a return to professional wrestling for the WWE and will next be seen in Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2011).

PERSONAL LIFE

Dwayne married company CEO Dany Garcia in 1997, whom he had known since his scholarship at Miami University. The couple have a daughter, Simone Alexandra Johnson (born 2001), but separated amicably in 2007. Dwayne published his autobiography The Rock Says in 2000, and has strived to raise awareness for youth voting through the WWE’s ‘Smackdown Your Vote’ campaign. Dwayne also established The Dwayne Johnson Rock Foundation in 2006, a charity for terminally ill children. Dwayne is currently represented by United Talent Agency.

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CHILDHOOD

Zac Efron as "Troy Bolton" in High School Musical

Zachary or “Zac” Efron as he is more commonly known to fans, is an American actor, singer and dancer who was born on October 18, 1987, in San Luis Obispo, California, later moving to Arroyo Grande, California. Both his mother, Starla Baskett and father, David Efron worked at a power plant and openly encouraged Zac to begin acting when he was eleven years old. Zac describes his childhood as being ‘normal’ and ‘middle class.’ He graduated from Arroyo Grande High School in 2006 and when asked about his schooling he described himself as the class clown. During his school years he performed in several shows including Gypsy and Peter Pan. It was from these plays that his drama teacher recommended him to an agent in Los Angeles. He was later signed by the Creative Artists Agency. He also applied and was accepted into the University Of Southern California, but he deferred his place in order to pursue film projects.

CAREER

Efron began his career appearing in guest roles on television shows including Firefly, ER and The Guardian. His first recurring role was as ‘Cameron Bale’ in the now-cancelled Warner Brothers series Summerland, starring opposite Jesse McCartney. Since then, he has had many guest roles on shows such as CSI: Miami, NCIS, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and The Replacements. In 2003, Efron starred in the movie Miracle Run in which he played Steve Morgan, one of two autistic twins. Following his performance he was nominated for a Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Movie, Mini-series or Special. Efron also played horse-loving Patrick McCardle in The Derby Stallion in 2005.

It was in 2006 however, that Efron’s career really took off when he starred in the lead role as popular student, Troy Bolton in the Disney Channel original movie, High School Musical. This film led to Efron gaining massive recognition among teenage audiences for acting and singing, despite the fact that his singing voice was overdubbed. In January of 2006, he rated as high as number four on the IMDBPro’s STARMeter. He also later won a Teen Choice Award for Breakout Star and for the TV Choice Chemistry Categories (shared with Vanessa Hudgens).

In 2007 Efron starred in a music video for Vanessa Hudgens’s new single “Say OK”, in which he played her love interest. Zac also starred as Link Larkin in the remake of the film version of Hairspray, in which Efron performed all of his own vocals. He also gained fifteen pounds and cut and dyed his hair.

Following the success of High School Musical, Efron reprised his role of Troy Bolton in High School Musical 2, which was released in August 2007 and in High School Musical 3: Senior Year, which was released in October 2008. His next role was in 2009 in 17 Again alongside Friends star Matthew Perry. Soon after, Efron was cast in the lead role for the film Me and Orson Welles, based on Robert Kaplow’s novel. At the time, Efron was also due to star in musical remake of the film Footloose, but he later pulled out as he said that he “was looking for a new challenge, and this was another musical.”

In 2009, Efron participated in a short video called “Zac Efron’s Pool Party.” He also hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live. Most recently, in 2010, Efron starred in a series of advertisements, alongside Kristen Bell and Sean Combs, promoting the 2010 MTV Movie Awards.

Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens

His movie Charlie St. Cloud was also released in July 2010, in which he played the title character.

PERSONAL LIFE

In 2007 Efron was named as one of People magazine’s 100 most beautiful people and in 2008 he was placed as number 92 on the Forbes Celebrity 100 after having an estimated earning of $5.8 million from June 2007 to June 2008. It was estimated that as of April 2009, his personal wealth was around $10 million. Efron’s dating life is somewhat unclear as People magazine reported that Efron and High School Musical co-star Vanessa Hudgens began dating in 2005 while filming the Disney hit. However in 2010, after the couple dubbed ‘Zanessa’ split, US magazine said that the pair did not become an official couple until two years later in 2007.

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Robert Downey Jr

London Academy of Media Film TV

EARLY LIFE

Born Robert John Downey Jr in Manhattan, New York on April 4th 1965, Robert is the youngest of two children to actress Elsie and director Robert Downey. Robert was destined to follow in their footsteps and made his debut acting appearance at the age of five in his father’s independent feature Pound (1970). His early passion for acting lead to him studying performing arts at the Stagedoor Manor in New York until his parents divorced in 1978 and he moved to California with his father. Whilst in California, Robert studied at Santa Monica High School where he performed in numerous school productions, and had a small role in another of his father’s films, Up the Academy, in 1980.

BRANCHING OUT

Robert moved back to New York in 1982, where he appeared in several off-Broadway stage productions including American Passion, until he was spotted by a talent scout and promptly moved back to California where he was cast in John Sayles’ Baby It’s You (1983). He began a relationship with fellow actress Sarah Jessica Parker whilst filming Michael Apted’s Firstborn in 1984 and moved back to New York shortly afterwards. From there, Robert’s career began to take off with the actor earning supporting roles in the likes of John Hughes’ Weird Science (1985) before landing a brief stint as a series regular on Saturday Night Live’s 1985-1986 season. However, his breakthrough role came in 1987 when he was cast in the Bret Easton Ellis adaptation Less Than Zero. Robert won rave reviews for his authentic portrayal of a drug addict and a string of more high-profile roles followed suit with appearances in Chances Are (1989), and Air America (1990) opposite Mel Gibson. Robert’s acting talent would soon be recognized with a spate of awards and nominations for his performance as Charlie Chaplin in Richard Attenborough’s Chaplin (1992) earning the star a BAFTA award and an Oscar nomination. Robert continued to perform to great acclaim with appearances in Robert Altman’s Shortcuts (1993), and Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers (1994), however his long-standing drug addiction would threaten to derail his career.

SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Robert’s career has long been plagued by his high profile substance abuse. He unsuccessfully attended rehab from as early as 1987, yet his struggle with addiction would define much of his early career; coming to a head in 1996 when the actor was arrested for speeding and possession. Following more arrests, he was sentenced to three years probation and was subsequently jailed for 4 months after failing to attend some mandatory drug tests. He continued to act between stints in rehab, including performances in The Gingerbread Man (1998), U.S. Marshals (1998), and Wonder Boys (2000), but his personal life met an all time low in 1999 when he was arrested for violating the terms of his probation and began serving a three year prison sentence. He was released the following year and soon landed a role in television drama Ally McBeal for which he was awarded an Emmy and a Golden Globe, but his troubles with the law were not yet over; with his character being written out of the series after yet another arrest. Robert announced his newfound sobriety in 2003 and finally made his big-screen comeback.

Robert Downey Jr in Iron Man 2

BIG SCREEN COMEBACK

Robert’s comeback has largely been credited to former co-star Mel Gibson who cast the actor in The Singing Detective (2003), yet his early acclaim eluded him until he was cast in Shane Black’s independent film noir Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005). From there Robert’s career went from strength to strength thanks to roles in George Clooney’s Good Night, and Good Luck (2005), and David Fincher’s Zodiac (2007). The turning point in his resurrected career came in 2008 when he was cast as Tony Stark in Marvel’s hugely successful Iron Man, making the actor a blockbuster star in the process. A role in Ben Stiller’s ensemble comedy Tropic Thunder (2008) earned him a second Oscar nomination, while Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes (2009) sealed his newfound reputation as a box office draw. Robert has recently continued his ascension to superstardom with a second performance as Tony Stark in Iron Man 2 (2010). He will next be seen in Guy Ritchie’s forthcoming Sherlock Holmes sequel and Marvel’s highly anticipated The Avengers.

PERSONAL LIFE

Robert had a seven year relationship with actress Sarah Jessica Parker from 1984 to 1991, and has been married twice. He has a son, Indio Falconer Downey (born 1993) from his first marriage to Deborah Falconer (1992-1996), and is currently married to producer Susan Downey (2005-present), whom he met whilst filming Gothika in 2003. Robert has also performed on many film soundtracks and released a jazz album, The Futurist, in 2004. He is currently represented by Creative Artists Agency.

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EARLY LIFE

Olivia Wilde

Born Olivia Jane Cockburn in New York City, New York on March 10th, 1984, Olivia is the youngest of two children to producer/journalist Leslie and journalist Andrew Cockburn. Her sister, Chloe, is a civil rights attorney in New York. Despite her parent’s careers, Olivia wanted to be an actress from a very young age, reportedly since she was two years old. She studied at the Georgetown Day School in Washington D.C. before enrolling at the Phillips Academy in Massachusetts to study acting. She appeared in numerous school productions there, and graduated in 2002. She also briefly studied her craft at the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin, Ireland.

FIRST JOB AND TELEVISION BREAKTHROUGH

After moving to Los Angeles, Olivia soon earned her first television role; as Jewel Goldman on the Romeo and Juliet-inspired series Skin in 2003. She adopted the surname Wilde as her screen name to retain her family’s privacy and as a reference to famed author and playwright Oscar Wilde. Though the show was ultimately cancelled after 6 episodes, Olivia soon found herself another role. She was working on the set of the 2004 film The Girl Next Door, when she was eventually asked to join the cast. It was back on television though where Olivia would find her breakthrough role landing a recurring character on the popular teen drama The O.C. in that same year. From there, Olivia’s career slowly began to take off as she balanced small roles in film with more prominent performances on television. She appeared in the independently produced Conversations with Other Women (2005), ensemble drama Alpha Dog (2006) with Emile Hirsch and Bruce Willis, and the horror film Paradise Lost (2006), before returning to television in Paul Haggis’ short-lived crime series The Black Donnellys in 2007. That same year, she became a series regular on Hugh Laurie’s critically-acclaimed medical-drama series House, starring as one of the titular doctor’s new assistants.

FEATURE FILM BREAKTHROUGH

House’s success gave Olivia a great deal of exposure, earning the actress a Teen Choice nomination in 2008 for Breakthrough Female. More roles were to follow, with Olivia balancing her work on House with more high-profile film releases. Her first high-profile role came in Harold Ramis’ 2009 biblical comedy Year One, playing Princess Inanna, the love interest of Jack Black’s idiotic neanderthal. Though the film was a box office disappointment, Olivia would return to the big screen the following year with a supporting turn in Disney’s highly anticipated Tron: Legacy, a long awaited sequel to the 1982 cult classic Tron. The film was a box office hit, earning almost $400 million worldwide, and made Olivia a star in the process, which she swiftly followed up with another supporting turn in jailbreak thriller The Next Three Days (2010) with Russell Crowe. Olivia’s set for a busy 2011 with more supporting turns in the likes of Jon Favreau’s high-concept alien invasion film Cowboys & Aliens, ensemble sci-fi Now, and rom-com The Change-Up with Ryan Reynolds.

Olivia Wilde with Hugh Laurie in House

ACTIVISM & MODELING WORK

Olivia is active in charity work and raising awareness for youth issues. She campaigned in the 2008 presidential election in support of Barack Obama and is involved with several charitable organizations including Artists for Peace and Justice, and the American Civil Liberties Union, with whom she has strived to raise awareness for voting among youths. Olivia has also had some success as a model and was featured in Abercrombie and Fitch’s “Rising Stars” campaign in 2004.

PERSONAL LIFE

Olivia has had a long relationship with Italian prince, documentary filmmaker, actor and musician Tao Ruspoli, with whom she eloped and married in a private ceremony in 2003. She has actively supported his film work by starring alongside Tao in his award winning feature Fix in 2008, and independent comedy Camjackers in 2006. As of February 2011, Olivia and Tao are separated.

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EARLY LIFE

Bruce Willis

Born Walter Bruce Willis in Idar-Oberstein, West Germany, on March 19th 1955, Bruce is the eldest of four children to bank clerk Marlene, and American soldier David Willis. After David was discharged from the military, the Willis family moved back to New Jersey in 1957, where David began working as a welder. As a child, Bruce suffered from a stutter, and was often teased by his classmates during his time at Penns Grove High School. Whilst there, Bruce discovered a talent for acting, and through his performances at his high school drama club, he soon found that he could express himself more clearly eventually losing his stutter.

ACTING DEBUT

Following his graduation and some working-class jobs, Bruce enrolled at Montclair State University to study acting and appeared in class productions of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Bruce left Montclair before completing his studies and moved to New York to pursue acting on a more professional level, eventually making his theatre debut in an off-Broadway production of Heaven and Earth in 1977, before earning minor film roles in The First Deadly Sin (1980), and The Verdict (1982). He moved to Los Angeles shortly after and quickly won a guest appearance on Miami Vice in 1984 before he found his breakthrough role on hit sitcom Moonlighting. He appeared in 54 episodes of the series from 1985-1989 and won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his work. He made his leading man debut in 1987s Blind Date, however his most iconic role came in 1988 when he was cast as John McClane in Die Hard.

DIE HARD AND BEYOND

Die Hard was an unexpected box office hit and transformed Bruce into a film star in the process. It was nominated for 4 Oscars and spawned 3 sequels; in 1990, 1995 and 2007 respectively. He found another franchise in family comedy series Look Who’s Talking (1989), voicing John Travolta and Kirstie Allie’s wisecracking newborn son for 2 films, and supplemented his appearances as McClane with further performances building on his tough-guy screen persona including; The Last Boy Scout (1991), Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction (1994), The Fifth Element (1997), Armageddon (1998) and Sin City (2005). Bruce has also featured in his fair share of box office flops; with early roles in Bonfire of the Vanities (1990), Hudson Hawk (1991), North (1994) and Color of Night (1994) threatening to derail his rise to stardom. He has continued to challenge himself as an actor throughout his career, and has frequently played against type to great critical acclaim with his performances in Twelve Monkeys (1995), and M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense (1999) and Unbreakable (2000) demonstrating his more subtle acting ability. He also won an Emmy award for his guest appearance on several episodes of Friends in 2000, and earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006. More recently he has struggled to achieve consistent success with his latest features often disappointing at the box office, however appearances in Sylvester Stallone’s 80s action homage The Expendables (2010) and comic-book adaptation Red (2010) have shown he can still bring in an audience.

Bruce Willis as John McClane in Die Hard 4.0

PERSONAL LIFE

In 1991 he co-founded the Planet Hollywood restaurant chain with fellow action stars Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and established his own production company, Cheyenne Enterprises, in 2001. An accomplished musician, Bruce has released two blues albums including The Return of Bruno in 1987, which spawned two successful singles and a HBO special of the same name. Bruce was previously married to actress Demi Moore, with whom he has three daughters; Rumer born 1988, Scout LaRue born 1991, and Talulah Belle born 1995. The couple separated amicably in 2000 after 13 years of marriage but still remain close, with Demi and new husband Ashton Kutcher being guests at Bruce’s wedding to Emma Heming in 2009. Bruce is currently represented by Creative Artists Agency.

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Childhood

Jennifer Aniston, or as she was formerly known, Jennifer Anastasakis, was born on February 11^th, 1969 in Sherman Oaks California, to actors John Aniston and Nancy Dow. As a child she lived in Greece for a year, before relocating to New York and then eventually back to California in 1989. Aniston’s childhood was not as smooth running as some, her father left her and her mother when she was nine. Aniston was lucky enough to attend the coveted LaGuardia High School, more commonly known as the ‘fame school.’ Highlighting her talent from an early age.

Career

In her early years Aniston supported herself with several jobs, ranging from off Broadway productions to working as a bike messenger and a waitress. It was two years after she moved to Los Angeles in 1990 that she was cast in her first television role in the short lived series Molloy and later on in ‘Ferris Bueller’s day off.’ After appearing in a string of cancelled shows and in the critically derided movie ‘Leprechaun,’ Aniston, even considered giving up acting and even now tries to play down the fact that she was in ‘Leprechaun.’

Fortunately for Aniston her luck changed in 1994 when she auditioned for the role of Monica in friends. Although she didn’t get the role of Monica, she was cast as the loveable daddy’s girl Rachel Green, and after ten years of the show gained a worldwide reputation among television viewers.

Since the days of friends, Aniston has appeared in several films, earning a reported $8 million per film and in 2007 was named by Forbes Magazine as one of the top ten richest women in entertainment as well as one of the nations sweethearts. Away from her acting career, she has recently released her own perfume entitled ‘Jennifer Aniston.’

Personal Life

Unfortunately for Aniston, her love life has not lived up to the high standards of her career. After dating an array of actors such as her Ferris Bueller co-star Charlie Schlatter in 1990 and friends co-star Tate Donovan from 1995-1998, Aniston started dating the movie heartthrob Brad Pitt, and on July 29^th, 2000, they got married. Their relationship was all too soon dubbed as one of Hollywood’s rare successes; and in the January of 2005 they announced their separation, followed by their divorce in October of the same year. Since then Aniston has dated her co-star actor Vince Vaughn and musician John Mayer, neither with any avail, however each relationship ended amicably.

Aniston has had an estrange relationship with her mother after her book ‘From mother and daughter to friends’ was published in 1999. However after the divorce from Brad Pitt the pair have reconciled. Since Friends, Aniston has also stayed best friends with her fellow co-star Courteney Cox and is godmother to her daughter Coco Riley Arquette.

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Childhood

Lauren Graham, daughter of Fashion Buyer Donna Grant and candy industry lobbyist Lawrence Graham, was born on the 16^th March 1967. Despite been born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Graham is of Irish descent and was raised as a Catholic. After her parents divorced when she was five, she moved to Washington DC and then further travelled around with her father. As a child Graham rode horses competitively, but soon switched to acting after discovering it in Elementary school. Graham describes herself as ‘very driven and ambitious’, which was shown as she received her actor’s equity card in 1988, alongside a BA degree in English and in 1992, a MA in Acting Performance.

Career

Like many aspiring actresses, Graham began working as a waitress while doing as many publicity appearances as possible, including playing the mascot in the 1994 FIFA world cup.

In 1995, she relocated to Hollywood, landing various jobs ranging from Dimetapp adverts to presenting on the Movie Channel. She also starred in three failed sitcoms including ‘Townies’ and ‘Lush life.’ Grahams career began to pick up between 1996 and 1997, when she began to guest star on several hit NBC shows such as 3^rd Rock from the sun and Law and order.

It was in 2000, however, that Graham landed her breakthrough role as quick talking mum Lorelai Gilmore on The Gilmore Girls.

Throughout her seven years on the show Graham was nominated for a Golden Globe and was also made a producer for part of season seven, in what was claimed to be an attempt to get her to sign for an eighth season.

Post Gilmore Girls, Graham has played various roles in several major films such as Bad Santa, The Pacifier and Evan Almighty and also in short films such as Gnome, which is available to watch on Youtube and downloadable from iTunes.

Away from Film, Graham has worked as the voiceover announcer for companies such as Kellogs and American Express. In 2009, Graham also promoted her talents as a stage actress/singer in the critically acclaimed Broadway show Guys and Dolls, in which she played Miss Adelaide.

In October 2009 it was announced that Graham would be taking over the role of Sarah Braverman in the NBC series Parenthood, which has recently been renewed for a second season. Most recently, in June 2010 it was revealed that Graham would star in the upcoming Scream 4, however she later left the project.

Personal Life

Over her years as an actress Graham has dated many A list celebrities including Friends star Tate Donavon, and more famously Matthew Perry. Graham is currently dating her Parenthood co-star and on screen brother, Peter Krause, who she has been friends with for several years.

Over her career, she has most definitely become a role model to many, especially parents, and has recently said in an interview ‘Don’t ask me for mom advice,’ which is understandable as currently Graham has no children of her own, although her current boyfriend has an eight year old son.

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